‘We’ve been blessed’: Gibson’s Fish and Chips turns 60

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It’s been a good time, and a long time, for the Gibson family in Saskatoon’s restaurant scene.

Gibson’s Fish and Chips celebrates 60 years of service to the city. Four generations of Gibsons cut potatoes and made batter at the restaurant, which now sits near the intersection of East Eighth Street and Louise Avenue.

The family-owned establishment reached its latest milestone this week.

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“It seems like a long time,” said Jonathan Gibson.

But life goes by in a hurry, he added.

Gibson said his father opened the business and now his grandchildren help with the restaurant.

During these 60 years, the business was not without hard times, but they worked hard and had to endure it when times got toughhe said.

“Restaurants have changed a lot in Saskatoon.”

Gibson said there is more variety in the city now, but the cost of running a restaurant has gone up, so smaller restaurants are becoming more common.

He has worked at Gibson’s Fish and Chips since he was 13 and will soon celebrate his 70th birthday.

“Don’t give up on what you want to do and what you believe in,” he said. “Know that if you put in your best effort, the rewards will come soon.

“Running your own business is a challenge and the hours you put in and you hope you’re doing the right thing.”

He noted that the dough for fish and potatoes has been passed down in the family for 60 years.

“We’ve been blessed,” he said.

“We are very grateful and appreciative of the customers who have supported us.”

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Gibson said anyone starting a business right now has a tough job ahead of them, and that Gibson is very fortunate to have a fan base built up over six decades.

“We have a broad customer base that spans all over Saskatoon and all over the province,” he said, adding that they’ve had people come from the UK and the United States to try the fish and chips.

About 25 years ago, the restaurant was open seven days a week.

“A lot of times when we took vacations, I sent my wife on vacation with the kids, but I was working here,” he recalled.

He said they eventually decided to take a vacation every year to spend with family, hoping the customers would return when they returned. Now the business takes Sundays off, which Gibson calls a luxury.

“I look at other small restaurants and the hours they put in, the amazing number of hours they put in,” he said. “I feel very fortunate to know that we put in those hours over the first 30 years.”

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